The Case for Mikko

I've been asked a few times lately why I believe Mikko Koivu should be the first permanent captain of the Wild. It's a good question, and I have a few answers, albeit nothing completely logical. Mikko's a leader on the ice. You can see it in his eyes when he's talking to teammates on the bench, you can see it when he's talking to the coaches. He just exudes confidence. It's real hard to put my finger on it, he just has what it takes. He's sort of a Finnish, hockey-playing Derek Jeter. He also has the pedigree. His older brother, Saku, is the captain of the Canadiens. Clearly the Koivus have captaincy DNA. Unlike some Wild, he plays hard at both ends of the ice. Someday soon he'll be a 30-30-60 point man and lead the team in plus/minus. Lemaire plays him in every situation: full strength, power-play and the penalty kill. You can't say that about Marian or Pierre-Marc. He's also going to be with the team for a long, long time. Rolston may be out after he's a free agent next year, and Walzy is in the same situation. I can see Mikko spending his entire career here. And besides all that, he's Finnish.